Membership

This is how we calculate your membership on your Total Reward Statement (TRS).

Reckonable membership

This is the length of service that counts towards the calculation of your pension.

If you've worked part time, we'll convert this time to the whole time equivalent length.

It includes:

• any membership you've transferred in from other pension schemes

• additional membership you have from Mental Health Officer status (1995 section only)

It also includes any added years you've bought to date (1995 section only). We might calculate an estimate to a date before the added years contract end date. In these cases, we include a proportional credit.

Bank staff (officer members only)

Your employment contract means that:

• bank posts will not feature in the TRS employment section of the statement
• it does not show any post as contributing on the personal information and summary page

We take pension contributions into account in the Actual Benefit Statement (ABS) element of your statement.

Calendar length membership

This is the amount of time you've contributed to the scheme since you became a member.

It includes:

• any membership you've transferred in from other pension schemes
• additional membership you have from Mental Health Officer status (1995 section only)

It also includes any added years you've bought to date (1995 section only). We may calculate an estimate to a date before the added years contract end date. In these cases, we include a proportional credit.

You may claim your pension before the end date of the added years contract. If you do, we'll reduce the pension benefits we provide under that contract. This is because they are paid earlier and for longer.

Limits to your membership

From 1 April 2022, all active members are now members of the 2015 NHS Pension Scheme, regardless of age.

There is no limit to how long you can build up members for in the 2015 Scheme.

Your scheme contributions will stop when you reach age 75.

1998/2008 Scheme

If you were a member before 1 April 2022, you may have built up membership from the 1995/2008 NHS Pension Scheme before leaving or moving to the 2015 Scheme.

Changes to public service pension schemes

In 2015, the government made changes to most public service pension schemes, including the NHS Pension Scheme. These changes did not apply to members closest to retirement, who stayed in their legacy schemes with ‘transitional protection’. The Court of Appeal later found that this discriminated against younger members.

The government is removing this age discrimination from public service pension schemes where 'transitional protection' was introduced.

If you were affected by the changes in 2015, you'll have a choice after you retire. You'll get to decide if you want to get legacy scheme or reform scheme benefits for your service between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2022.

You can find more information on our changes to public pensions webpage.